Numerous administrative reforms have been carried out in OECD countries over the past three decades. Various strategies have been implemented in order to "modernize" and "test" the operation of administrative units. These changes naturally have repercussions for human resources management (HRM). The objective of this paper is to offer a better understanding of the administrative reform strategies implemented in Switzerland and Canada, while examining their impact in terms of the role and place of HRM in the administrative change processes in the two countries.